A Magical Crisis
by Elrian Li
Summary: The children of the Golden Trio are entering Hogwarts and whole new adventures await. Voldemort may be gone, but the wizarding world still faces many problems. Heroes will, and must, rise to face the challenges that are set out for them. First-year POV.
1. A Rather Interesting Sorting

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Harry Potter and I never will. This disclaimer is meant for the entire story; therefore it will not be repeated upon the beginning of each chapter.

A Rather Interesting Sorting Ceremony

Yup, that's right. I was running late again, all thanks to my own stupidity. What was worse was that it was on my first day of Hogwarts. We had taken a plane over from California, our vacation spot, back to London and then driven to get to King's Cross Station. Dylan, my brother, was probably already on the train and laughing it up with his Ravenclaw buddies. I, on the other hand, was just making it through the barrier to Platform 9¾ again after fetching my wand from the worried hands of my mother.

After I nearly ran into a large group of parents coming to see off their children, I finally made it onto the Hogwarts Express. I was the last one on. I cursed under my breath. Being late sucked, but not really because I cared about punctuality. I just hated having to scrounge around for open seats and intruding on other people who had come earlier.

Every compartment I'd looked into so far was full and even though I'd only gone through roughly half of the train, I was not optimistic. When I found Dylan having a really animated discussion with his friends, the train had already started moving. I thought about sitting with him, but I knew this would be a good time to make friends with other first-years so I moved on.

Soon, there were only ten compartments left. I started to get irritated and a little worried. Just when I was about to head back, I stumbled upon a compartment that had only three people; two boys and a girl. They all looked really young, so I assumed they were first- or second-years. Finally!

I rapped my knuckles on the door three times before slowly sliding it open. The girl on the left had _Hogwarts, A History_ in her lap and barely noticed me while the boys chatted. "Excuse me," I said as politely as I can. "Could I sit with you three? I didn't get on the train until now, and just about everywhere else is full."

The boy on the right flicked an eye toward the boy and girl sitting opposite him. "Sure, that's fine if they're okay with it." He relaxed into the red seat, like he was finished talking. I turned my attention to the other two.

"Of course it's fine with us, Jason. I thought you'd know us better than that by now! Come in, come in." The red-headed girl set the book onto the table and shooed me in. I dropped into the available seat next to Jason.

I studied her more carefully. She looked so familiar; too familiar. Then I remembered that I'd bumped into a lot of people with ginger hair and freckles just like hers at King's Cross. That must have been her family, I concluded.

"Uh, I've known you for about five minutes," Jason dryly replied to the girl. "I'm not sure that makes a difference."

"Oh! That means you're a first-year, right?" I asked him.

The boy with untidy black hair raised his bright green eyes to me. "We're all first-years. And you? Are you a third-year or something?"

"Nope, I'm a first-year too. I'm just tall. Who are all of you? I think I saw your family on the platform." I gestured to the girl.

The boy smiled broadly like I'd said something amusing. "Then you must have seen my family as well. We're cousins, but I didn't inherit the Weasley hair like Lily did. I'm Albus Potter or Al for short."

"Rose Weasley here," Rose piped. "Nice meeting you."

Jason joined in and said, "My name's Jason Li."

I blinked at Jason. "That's funny. My name's Elrian Li. How do you spell your last name?"

"L-I. It's this Chinese character." He used his pointer finger to draw out the more common Chinese surname in the air.

"Cool!" I smiled. "Same here for the spelling, though it's this 'Li' for me." I showed him the character on the table. "I speak Mandarin Chinese. _Ni ke yi jiang pu tong hua ma_?"

"_Ke yi_. But I'd rather speak English, so these two can understand the conversation."

Albus and Rose looked at me like I'd grown another head or five. "Oh yeah," I said and scratched my head. "Sorry! Anyway, Potter and Weasley, huh? So you must be a son of Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley, and you're a daughter of… one of the Weasleys? That must be interesting."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Oh yes. My mum's the clever Hermione Granger and my dad's the great Ron Weasley."

I smiled a little. "So where's the rest of your family?"

"They're back a few compartments. Al and I chose to sit apart from them. I'm afraid if we're all together, something drastic will happen. The older ones will probably be snogging or worse… Besides, James won't stop being a prat and worrying Al about being in—"

"Don't say it!" Albus interrupted in a strangled voice. "I won't be in Slytherin! I won't."

"Oh Al. It really doesn't matter which House you're sorted into. Not everyone who is Slytherin is bad."

"Yeah!" I agreed. "I mean my snake is always _Slytherin_ and he's pretty awesome."

Rose stopped trying to comfort Albus. "We're talking about the Houses at Hogwarts. You know about them, right?"

I sighed. "Of course I do. I was just kidding. You know, Slytherin, _slithering_. Get it? Ugh, forget it. Never mind! So, what Houses do you three want to be in anyway?"

"Not Slytherin!" Albus stiffened and sat up. "I mean, uh, I honestly don't _really_ mind. My mum and dad were both Gryffindors, and James—my brother—is as well, so I expect they'd be happy to see me in the same House."

Jason thoughtfully said, "Ravenclaw sounds good and I suppose Hufflepuff would be fine. I doubt I'll go there though, because I'm kind of lazy when it comes to work."

Rose shrugged. "Gryffindor would be nice. If I couldn't be in that, I'd like Ravenclaw. Daddy says he'll disown me if I don't get into Gryffindor, but I know he's just joking. You?"

"I've no idea. I know I can fit into all the Houses, but I'd rather not be a Hufflepuff. It sounds like some sort of crazy dessert or something disgustingly cute and fluffy." I made a face. "My brother is in Ravenclaw, so I might go there."

It was quiet for a few minutes until Rose perked up. "By the way, why were you late getting on the train?"

I grimaced at the memory. "Well, I was originally early. But I was playing around with my wand on the car ride to King's Cross, and I left it there. I didn't notice until I got past the barrier and I had to run back to the car to get it. Nearly missed the train doing so."

From then on, Jason and Albus talked about Quidditch and played Wizard's Chess. Rose and I had a great conversation about _Hogwarts, A History_. Apparently, she'd never met anyone else who bothered to read it besides her mother. How strange. Soon enough, the trolley lady came along and Albus bought a lot of everything to share.

We finally made it off the Hogwarts Express. By the time everyone got off the train, it was already pitch black and gradually getting chillier. A man over twice my height called out, "Firs' years, over 'ere." I heard a few girls next to me whisper about how frightening he looked, but I could tell by his kind face that he couldn't be bad. I knew that the man must be Rubeus Hagrid, from what I'd heard from my brother. I followed him and the rest of the first-years to the boats near the Black Lake. I quickly got in with Rose, Albus, and Jason.

After a short ride, thankfully, we got off and I stopped to admire the castle. Hogwarts was simply magnificent. No amount of words could ever sum up the breathtakingly magical feel to this place. There was just a certain brightness exuded here that couldn't be stifled. The sturdy walls and gates made the place look like somewhere I could be safe forever. Hagrid opened up a door to the castle and suddenly, a long, dim hallway covered in portraits of strangers filled my vision.

A professor led us up the stairs. I'd heard that he teaches Herbology and is the Head of Gryffindor. Neville Longbottom? He quickly explained the different Houses, their importance, and the point system. Meanwhile, a boy with sharp features and neat blonde hair rested his elbows on the railing of the stairs. His expression was of sheer boredom and he didn't listen to the professor at all. Instead, he lazily whispered something to a boy and a girl who responded by giggling noisily.

I ignored them and smirked to myself. If anyone was going to get a lot of points, it was me. I knew I'd have to prove myself to get respect around here as a first-year, and this would be the ideal way to do it. I could also get on the House Quidditch team, which was possible now, however that was difficult to achieve. Only under unusual circumstances would a team want a first-year, when there were most likely bigger and more experienced players out there.

Professor Longbottom finished speaking and the doors would inevitably have to open in a few seconds. I inhaled. This was it. I was going to be sorted. It might not seem so exciting to those who have already been sorted or who will never be sorted, but it was actually very daunting. A mere hat could judge people by their strengths and weaknesses, and then place them into a House depending on what came up. A ratty old hat may even know more about you than you do. If that wasn't intense, I didn't know what was.

Then, the doors to the Great Hall were open. I tried to ignore the curious stares of the students of all four tables and the speculative gazes of the professors up above on the dais as we dutifully followed Professor Longbottom. But one person's sharp, stern eyes pierced through me: Headmistress McGonagall's. I heard gasps from my fellow mates, probably from the otherworldly feel of the Great Hall. I didn't join in since I'd been expecting this for a while now.

We all tried not to make a fool of ourselves, but I could tell someone had failed when some of the kids from a table with green and silver colors started snickering. I searched for familiar faces and spotted Dylan sitting amidst a table full of Ravenclaws. He gave me a reassuring smile and the thumbs-up sign. I returned his gesture with the biggest, cheeriest, and most fake grin I could possibly muster and made a revolted face afterward. Dylan laughed and I smiled for real this time. I felt a little better, but was no less anxious.

Finally, we reached a brownish hat riddled with patches that sat upon a three-legged stool. A hush fell over the Great Hall. A large rip appeared near the bottom of the hat and it started to sing about Hogwarts and the Houses.

When it finished its tune, everyone burst out in applause for the hat until Professor Longbottom silenced them. "First-years, when I call your name, please come forth and place the Sorting Hat onto your head. Once a decision has been made, take a seat with your new Housemates."

"HEY!" screamed a voice from the Gryffindor table. A boy with messy black hair similar to Albus's stood up. "LET'S PICK UP THE PACE, ALL RIGHT? I'M STARVING OVER HERE. Oh, and Al, I went ahead and reserved a place for you in Slytherin!"

The Gryffindor table howled with laughter and I couldn't help but smile at the boy. That could only be James. I looked around for Albus and I saw him slap a hand to his head. If anyone could die of embarrassment, I thought Al could at that point.

On the dais, Headmistress McGonagall looked like she was about to have a stroke. "WHY, I NEVER. HOW DARE YOU SPEAK SO INSOLENTLY? IN ALL MY YEARS OF TEACHING—OH I JUST KNEW I SHOULD HAVE RETIRED THE YEAR I HEARD MORE _POTTERS_ WERE COMING TO HOGWARTS!" she said shrilly in an amplified voice that echoed off the walls. "IF I COULD TAKE AWAY EVERY SINGLE POINT FROM GRYFFINDOR, I WOULD. YES, EVEN FROM MY OWN HOUSE, POTTER."

By then, the entire student body was sniggering and many of the professors were muttering to themselves, most likely trying to prepare themselves for another year with James Potter. Professor Longbottom gave a hard glance to the students to regain a peaceful air in the hall. Once it was quiet, he scanned a long piece of parchment and called out a name. A short girl with blackish hair sauntered up to the stool and put the hat on. Moments later, she became a Slytherin. I waited patiently for my name, but time seemed to pass slower and slower as Professor Longbottom went down the list.

Finally, it was my turn. "Li, Elrian!" he called out.

Promptly, I stepped up to the Sorting Hat and carefully put it on. I found it strange that all my nervousness had left me. I even smiled at the crowd right before I plunked down on the stool. The last feeling I had before I entered total blackness was the hat falling over my eyes and ears.

"Hello, hat," I breathed.

"Another Li," a thin, yet firm voice whispered into my ear. I shivered. "Your brother wasn't a very easy one to sort, but you…you are much more difficult, much like your great-great-great-grandfather. He was one of the last I sorted in your family. Did you know that?"

"Yes. Yes, I did. The magic skipped over most of the generations in my family. I think it's because many stopped believing in magic. I believe, though. Everyone thought that what he said were just stories. But I've felt magic coursing through my soul ever since I was born… I'm a strange one, aren't I?"

"That you are, that you are. But peculiarity makes some of the greatest witches and wizards of all time. Albus Dumbledore is a prime example, is he not?"

I tried to nod mentally, and hoped he understood.

"Yes, I see that you agree. I can tell that you are not afraid to be different and delve into the unknown. Those are Gryffindor and Ravenclaw traits. Why? Gryffindor, because of your boldness and courage. And Ravenclaw, because of your willingness to learn and nurture your mind. And what a mind you have. You have one of the most brilliant minds I've ever seen. Maybe not the wisest, as you are prone to irrational actions when emotional, but that will come with time. You would do well in Ravenclaw. Yet you are so loyal, devoted, and caring that it would be a shame for Hufflepuff not to have you. Still, you are very ambitious. Enough to sacrifice happiness with friends and family if the reason or cause is worthy. Very difficult to sort."

"You're right," I gasped. It felt like the hat was searching through the very essence of my being and it scared me. I didn't like how someone, or something, could know so much about me when this was only a first encounter. Suddenly, I didn't feel very good with this hat on me.

"Do not be afraid, young Li. You have the potential to become great just like your great-great-great-grandfather no matter where you go, be it Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, or Slytherin. However, before I sort you, I do wonder what House you would choose to be in."

I nearly scoffed. "Gryffindor is a little overrated, but it seems like a cool House with decent people. Ravenclaw fits me well. Slytherin, too. They all do. I'd just rather not be in Hufflepuff. It just doesn't seem like the right place for me. I'm not sure I would do my best there."

The Sorting Hat almost chuckled. Instantly, my guard was up. What could this magical hat have planned for me? "What are you going to do with me?" I half-seethed in a suspicious voice.

"You'll find out in a few moments, Li."

I knew right then that this stupid hat was about to Sort me, and I was not going to let it do so. No, it would have to listen to what I had to say, first. "No. We're going to talk about this. You aren't putting me in Hufflepuff. No! I don't agree with this!"

"What's this? You cannot argue against fate itself. And you realize you're arguing with a hat, right?"

"I don't want to be in Hufflepuff. Why should I trust a simple hat, even if it's meant to place a person in the right House? And yes, I do realize I'm arguing with a hat. An annoying hat at that."

"You're insulting a hat now. And there's nothing wrong with being a Hufflepuff. Hufflepuffs are honored for their fair play, loyalty, honesty, and tolerance. Does that not define you? You have always wanted justice in this world. You are very clever at lying, although you stopped doing it frequently. You could never leave a friend or even a stranger to suffer."

Crossing my arms mentally, I retorted, "Yeah, what you're saying might be true, but I couldn't be a true Hufflepuff. I have a low tolerance level."

"It may seem like that and most people will probably even think that. But you know that isn't true. One must possess a great amount of tolerance to suffer through what you have. To live when you have never felt like you belonged in an unkind world takes a lot of tolerance. Many eventually ignore it or give up. You are different. You want more for this world."

"No! I refuse to be a Hufflepuff! I'll be laughed at and mocked and something much worse. People underestimate Hufflepuffs. I'll have to fight my way through again. I can't keep fighting forever. The road is too long for me to do that. No one will think I'm brave or clever or ambitious until I prove myself. I'm tired of proving myself to everyone! The rest of Hogwarts will only think I'm a weak-minded, goody-goody pushover or something stupid for eternity since they don't understand Hufflepuff. Most people believe that Hufflepuffs are for people who aren't good enough to be in the other Houses. I understand the error in that, but I don't want to go there."

"Perhaps those reasons are the very ones you should be a Hufflepuff. The end result would be worth it, would it not? I told you that you could be great anywhere, and Hufflepuff will make you the greatest. Only one with the strength of a Gryffindor, wits of a Ravenclaw, and the resourcefulness of a Slytherin can do this."

"OH YOU LITTLE SUCK-UP. YOU AREN'T GOING TO MAKE ME BE A HUFFLEPUFF WITH YOUR DUMB PEP TALK AND BROWNNOSING. EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT A PATCHED-UP PIECE OF WORK LIKE YOU WOULD BE WORSE THAN A TOE-RAG. YOU'RE GOING OFF MY HEAD, NOW!" I screamed and suddenly found myself standing up with the Sorting Hat in my hands, back in the Great Hall. The rush of coming back was disorienting and everything went out of focus. I stumbled and knocked the stool over.

It was dead silent. The first-years in line for the Sorting stared at me with bulging eyes, and so does everyone else. I stared back. "Whoops," I mutter to myself.

"HUFFLEDOR!" the hat shouted abruptly. The sudden noise was startling enough that I dropped it and fell over. The Great Hall came alive again and whispers broke out. "RAVENPUFF! GRYFFININ! SLYTHERCLAW!" it continued.

"AW MAN," Dylan bellowed at me. "WHAT DID YOU DO THIS TIME, ELRIAN? JEEZ, ISN'T BEING THE WORST HATSTALL IN THE HISTORY OF HATSTALLS AT HOGWARTS ENOUGH FOR YOU? COME ON, SIS."

"YEAH, WHAT THE HECK DID YOU DO?" James yowled at me. I gave Albus a pained look. I really pitied him now. "I'm STILL hungry. WHERE'S THE FOOD? I DON'T THINK I CAN WAIT FOR THE OTHER HALF OF THE FIRST-YEARS TO BE SORTED. MINERVA DEAR, I'M A GROWING BOY."

Meanwhile, the Sorting Hat was still screaming, "HUFFLECLAW! RAVENIN! GRYFFINPUFF! SLYTHERDOR!"

"FOR MERLIN'S SAKE, PUT THE HAT BACK ON, GIRL. AND HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU, JAMES SIRIUS POTTER, that YOU may NOT ADDRESS ME AS MINERVA, OR MINNIE, OR MINNER THE WINNER?"

"HUFFLEIN!"

"I DON'T KNOW, M&Ms. I HAVEN'T BEEN COUNTING THE TIMES YOU'VE TOLD ME. BUT IF YOU WANT ME TO STOP TALKING, YOU CAN BRING ME SOME BLOODY FOOD AND I'LL BE GOOD."

"RAVENDOR! GRYFFINCLAW! SLYTHERPUFF!"

"PUT THE BLOODY HAT ON, MS. LI. I ORDER YOU AS THE HEADMISTRESS OF HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY."

"WELL I COULD IF YOU'D ALL SHUT THE BLOODY HELL UP!" I swore my head was going to split open. Before I could hear more of James' and McGonagall's nonsense, I crawled over to the Sorting Hat and set the stupid thing onto my head again.

And then I heard that dreaded word. "HUFFLEPUFF!"

**Author's Note:** Hey! This chapter got pretty crazy. I hope that you liked it, and if not, you weren't too annoyed by it. If the reason you didn't like it was excessive use of caps, bear with me. This is the only chapter (I think) that I will use caps this often.

I know that most people don't enjoy reviewing, and I won't be asking for a certain number of reviews before posting a new chapter. However, even one-sentence reviews would be greatly appreciated because it will draw more attention to my story. That attention will cause at least some people to give me detailed reviews. Make sense? Haha.

I really want to know what people think so I can improve and become a better writer! This is my first fan-fiction story, but NOT my first story. I've written a fair amount (as in about 30k words) for one story that I hope to publish one day. I'm not very great at describing settings but I can punctuate dialogue and tell a pretty good tale. I'm trying to make my characters 3D and likeable. You might think Elrian is a Mary Sue right now, but trust me, she isn't. I'm her, and I know I have a lot of major flaws. I'm working on showing rather than telling, and I believe I'm getting better at it. I think knowing this much is already pretty respectable for a 14-year-old, but I want to be better than this. Yes, I'm 14. Please don't stop reading because of my age. That doesn't really make a huge difference. I've read a lot of stories, many of them mediocre, and the writers were much older than me.

By the way, all the OCs in the story so far are actually REAL people. YOU PEOPLE KNOW WHO YOU ARE! Except for my great-great-great-grandfather who is clearly deceased. Anyway, hi Dylan and Jason! You bros better give me reviews at least. Oh and most, if not all, of the next-gen kids will be present in this story. Rose, Albus, and Scorpius will definitely play large roles.

FINALLY (sorry this A/N is long!), for those who want to give me _helpful_ reviews but don't know how, I'll give you some questions for you to answer. If the next few questions are too much of a hassle, then just tell me what House you think Rose and Albus will be in. Throw Jason in if you feel like it. I'm interested in what you guys think. Anyway, what do you think of all the characters so far? Mainly Elrian, but throw in Rose and Albus if you feel like it. Did you like my crazy Sorting ceremony? Give explanations if you feel they explain your answer. Did you like my fail humor or even find it even remotely funny? Haha, I have a strange sense of humor and ways to express it in stories. I'll try to write as much as I can, but that might not be every single week. It's testing time, people! I got an AP Macroeconomics test on May 17 that I have to get a 5 on it to appease my parents and my classmates. I promise that I'll write a lot more in the summer. If I don't, feel free to hunt me down and force me to write. HAHA. Actually, never mind, don't…unless you REALLY want to.

**Translations for those who weren't able to infer:**

_Ni ke yi jiang pu tong hua ma?_ : Can you speak Mandarin?

_Ke yi_ : I can.


	2. It's a Time of Change

**A/N: **Please don't stop reading because of the Sorting Ceremony. You'll know what I mean when you read it. Give me a chance! Thanks and enjoy.

It's a Time of Change

My first thought was that I'd been sorted into Hufflepuff. _Hufflepuff_. My hands trembled from the mere thought of being in this House. Hufflepuff couldn't be right for me. The Sorting Hat couldn't put me there when I could have also been in Gryffindor, Slytherin, or Ravenclaw. I wanted to strangle that scruffy, dilapidated hat for doing this to me. From what I'd heard and read, the Sorting Hat should have sorted me according to my traits. This just couldn't be my fate.

When I returned from the dark realm of the Sorting Hat, no one cheered. No one clapped. There was nothing. I was pretty sure that once someone was sorted, their table supposed to welcome them, but I didn't get that reaction. I woke to a cold, hard floor with my legs pushed under me. My hands had stayed tightly gripped on the leathery Sorting Hat. For a moment, I'd thought that I was still in the darkness, since the hat covered my eyes and…it was just that quiet. But I didn't care. No, I'd been sorted in the wrong House, and that was more important than receiving attention and affection from my fellow students.

"Professor Longbottom…Headmistress, this can't be right," I said as smoothly as I could, after I pulled the hat off my head and got to my feet. "I just have to be resorted. Please, you got to let me do this!" I twisted backward to see Professor Longbottom, but he slowly shook his head. "Headmistress? Headmistress, what do you say?" I repeated with uncertainty.

Headmistress McGonagall watched me, a hint of sadness tinting her green eyes and wrinkled face. She, too, shook her head. "No," she clasped her hands, "that simply couldn't be done even if I willed it. The Sorting Hat has made its decision, and a student cannot be sorted twice. In the past few centuries, very few have been sorted into the wrong place. I-I'm sure that you would do fine in Hufflepuff, Ms. Li. Now, please carry on. The Sorting Ceremony must resume."

Wordless, I nodded and put everything in place for the next person. The entire time, I didn't dare to look at the rest of the students. I couldn't bear to imagine what I would see in them. Revulsion at being a Hufflepuff? Confusion from the Sorting Hat mix-up? Fear because something this has probably never happened in the history of Hogwarts? How long had I even been on the stool? I knew I'd been a Hatstall; that was a given. That alone would scare many kids.

With my head down, I quickly walked toward the end of the Hufflepuff table. My shoes hollowly clacked against the floor. In the face of all these wizards and witches, I faltered and my anger ebbed. All I wanted to be was accepted at that moment. I didn't care about Houses. As I moved past the other tables, I could see from the corner of my eye that people had moved as far away from me as they could. "Hatstall—first in sixty years—only come along every fifty years or so," I heard from the Ravenclaw table. I clenched a fist and tilted my head up to the dark ceiling dotted with twinkling stars instead. I could almost pretend that I was no longer at Hogwarts. When I slid onto the bench, even my Hufflepuff mates tried to isolate me from the rest of their table. I'd been alienated once again. Was my hope of enjoying the next seven years of school here slipping away?

Taking in a few breaths, I decided that I couldn't be a wimp no matter what the situation. Although I was sorted into Hufflepuff, I still had to fight for who I was. I could have been a Gryffindor. The Sorting Hat had even said so. And with the strength of my Gryffindor side, I met the eyes of my peers. Every single head in the Great Hall was turned toward me. It frightened me that so many people, dressed in black robes and pointy hats, were staring at me. I felt different, even though I was supposed to be exactly like them. I wasn't supposed to be a freak anymore, in this place that embraced magic, right? Wrong, apparently. After a while, I could hardly take it anymore, though I put on a brave face. I had to stay strong, and that meant I couldn't let people intimidate me.

I eyed Professor Longbottom, and what I saw hurt me. His eyes were full of pity for me, and it only made me realize just how much more of a freak I was, even for a place for what Muggles would consider "freaks." Why didn't he get on with the Sorting Ceremony? We didn't have all day. Then I figured he was probably making sure that I would get a welcoming when everyone woke from their zombie-like state. They didn't. I willed Professor Longbottom to continue, and somehow, he understood me.

"Li, Jason!" he yelled, his voice a little hoarse.

Only then did I remember Jason. Another pang of pain hit me. The rest of Hogwarts would probably think we were related because we had the same last name and pick on him because of me. I winced inwardly. Just as I'd expected, there was muttering between students. They said things like, "Is that boy that girl's brother?" and "Oh no, not another one! Wonder if he's as weird as his sister!" One person even loudly whispered, "If that girl's brother takes as long as she did, the Sorting Hat might even end up breaking! How will any future students be sorted then, huh?"

I searched for him to see his reaction and found him unfazed at the front of the line of first-years. He looked at me. I looked away, not able to meet his eyes. I waited for him to put on the Sorting Hat. The seconds ticked by, longer and longer. What was he doing?

"Mr. Li, please step forward to be sorted into a House. Is Jason here?" Professor Longbottom asked with a note of doubt.

"Right here, sir," Jason answered evenly with a hand half-raised in the air. He had a determined expression about him.

Gesturing toward the Sorting Hat, Professor Longbottom asked, "Are you afraid of being sorted? Don't worry, there's a place for you here somewhere."

Jason shook his head slightly. "No, I'm not afraid. I'm sure there's a place for me. I was just under the impression that people would be welcomed into their House once sorted."

Professor Longbottom regarded Jason in awe, and then smiled faintly. A lot of the kids swiveled from me to Jason and back. Many were shocked into silence. I knew I was stunned. It was like my brain stopped functioning correctly, and I was watching a scene unfold from a different perspective. Jason turned to me and started applauding. And he kept applauding, the sound echoing endlessly. The quietness had been broken, and to my surprise, someone joined in.

My eyes followed the noise and I saw that it was Albus, fierceness replacing his worry. More and more people came after and I could hardly tell who started after whom anymore. I knew there were Rose and some first-years. With a bang, James jumped up with about half the Gryffindor table. He whistled loudly and shouted, "THAT JASON KID'S RIGHT! ELRIAN DESERVES SOME RECOGNITION; AFTER ALL, SHE DID GET THE _SORTING HAT_ TO MIX UP THE HOUSES. NOT EVEN THE OLD MARAUDERS HAVE DONE THAT, AND THEY WERE THE BEST PRANKSTERS EVER!"

I gazed up at the dais. Headmistress McGonagall pretended to look disapprovingly at James, but I could tell she felt something akin to pride. She and some of the other professors—including Professor Longbottom—stood up and followed James' effort. Dylan and his friends clapped too, and a few of the seemingly imperturbable Slytherins cheered. That bored blonde boy from the stairs even clapped for a little while. Next, a younger boy with sandy hair from my table joined. "COME ON!" he ordered, glaring at every face at our table. "We're friendly _Hufflepuffs_ aren't we? Not Slytherins! Welcome the girl already, guys! None of this is her fault."

Finally, my entire table stood at once and roared their approval. I smiled and almost every bad feeling I had before melted away. I felt light and free. I was accepted. I was _accepted_. I'd never felt that overwhelmed by emotion before, and I started to think my future years at Hogwarts could be fun again. And it was all thanks to Jason.

In all honesty, I was surprised. I never thought he would do that for me, since we didn't really talk on the train. I tried to catch his eye, to say something to express my gratitude, but he wasn't looking at me anymore. The cheers were dying down and then he was unabashedly walking up to the Sorting Hat. Without any signs of hesitation, he snatched the Sorting Hat into his hands and settled onto the stool. Down the Sorting Hat went onto his head, and the room was still again.

Holding my breath, I waited for him to be sorted. Where would he go? Maybe I was being silly, but I kind of wished he could be in Hufflepuff with me. Just one familiar face would be better than none. Inside though, I knew that he probably wouldn't go to Hufflepuff and I wouldn't really want to damn him to a fate that he didn't deserve, either. Jason was many things and I felt that there were other traits that trumped his loyalty and fairness. I wondered which would determine the House he would go to. A minute passed. We all watched in anticipation, and I had a feeling some people really were worried that I'd done a number to the Sorting Hat. Another minute passed, and Jason was still nestled on the stool with his hands loosely resting on his knees.

"Come on, Jason!" I breathed just soft enough that no one but me would hear. "Get into the House that's right for you. I hope the Sorting Hat's nice to you, at least."

"S-S-SLYTHERIN!" the Sorting Hat finally sputtered.

_Slytherin_? Jason was sorted into Slytherin. Was that right? I could see Jason being in Gryffindor or Ravenclaw, but I'd expected Ravenclaw. Slytherin also made sense; I saw the resourcefulness and ambition in Jason, but was that the _best_ place? An eerie feeling crept up my spine. Something felt so horribly wrong here. I wasn't sure that the Sorting Hat was supposed to stammer when declaring House names, either. This was bad. I stopped speculating before my thoughts could consume me.

Standing up and ignoring my initial anxiety, I gave Jason the same ovation he gave to me. I clapped as loud as I could, and found that almost everyone in the room had done the same. I grinned. This better go down in history. When was the last time a Slytherin got this much love from the rest of the tables? Bloody hell, when was the last time any _Sorting Ceremony_ was this wild?

James probably felt the same as me, because he was laughing so hard that his face was getting red. That or he couldn't believe that he was cheering for a Slytherin. If I wasn't mistaken, even Headmistress McGonagall chuckled a little. However, Albus was looking just a tad green again at Jason being in Slytherin. From what I saw, Jason appeared to like his House and mates and that was what was most important.

Jason set the hat back to its original place and shuffled over to the Slytherin table, which was howling and hooting the loudest of everyone. He was laughing like he was entertained by something. When he passed by me, I called, "Hey! Nice getting into Slytherin!"

He nodded and was welcomed by a mass of Slytherin students who ushered them into the middle of the table. "We got Jason! We got Jason!" they shouted, smugness written all over their faces at getting someone who was so well-liked by the other Houses. I was sure that they didn't really care about him standing up for me. Rather, they probably loved how much of an uproar Jason caused.

Once peace was restored, Professor Longbottom called a girl to come forward. The hat was only on her head for a second before the hat screamed that she was a Gryffindor.

"Malfoy, Scorpius!"

So Scorpius Malfoy was the name of that boy leaning on the stairs. If history were to repeat itself, this sorting shouldn't take very long. When the hat touched Malfoy's head, I expected the hat to immediately shout that Malfoy was a Slytherin, but it didn't.

"Oh, Merlin," a girl with light brown hair moaned from the back of my table. "If a Malfoy gets into _our_ House, it'll be the downfall of Hufflepuff! Sort him into Slytherin, already!"

I frowned at the girl. Malfoy hadn't even had a chance before people were judging him because of his ancestors. I meant to say something to her, but I was interrupted by a shout. "SLYTHERIN!"

Well, I was right about him being in Slytherin. Malfoy received a wild cheer for a Slytherin, but it was nowhere near as loud or intense as Jason's.

A small boy with brown hair became a Ravenclaw and then it was Albus's turn to be sorted. He nervously put the hat on, his entire body quivering from the pressure. This was what everyone had been waiting for. The son of the heroic Harry Potter was going to be sorted. Four minutes passed, and I wondered if Albus was going to become a Hatstall like me. The seconds ticked by and then the results came in.

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"WHAT? Blimey, Al. I thought it went unsaid that if you weren't going to be in Slytherin, Gryffindor would be the next choice," James called from the Gryffindor table over the racket the Hufflepuffs were making. His eyes were wide open, completely shocked by Albus's sorting but he calmed down enough to say, "Oi, well you better be ready for Quidditch, little brother!"

"WE GOT A POTTER! WE GOT A POTTER!" and "HUFFLEPUFF! HUFFLEPUFF!" were the screams from my table.

Albus shrugged when the noise died down. "Potters have been in Gryffindor for much too long." He calmly approached the Hufflepuff table and sat down opposite me. All nervousness left him now that he had been sorted, and that was when I thought I met the real Albus. So far, everyone seemed satisfied with their Houses and fit in. Except for me. I was the odd one out, and I was not comfortable in my own skin.

"Did you expect to be in Hufflepuff?" I said in a low voice, leaning across the table so no one would overhear. Meanwhile, the Sorting resumed and a girl became a Hufflepuff. Rose would be the second to last to be sorted, and there were two people ahead of her. "I thought you wanted Gryffindor. You didn't say so, but I could tell."

"No, that was unplanned. I did want Gryffindor at first, but the hat convinced me to consider something else," Albus answered thoughtfully, as if he were recalling the exact details.

I raised an eyebrow. "And you went along with it?"

"Yes," he returned my expression, "why wouldn't I? The Sorting Hat's function is to sort people, not conspire. I think it sorted me into the right House, too. Sometime after I put the hat on, I realized that I didn't want to always be overshadowed by my father and relatives. If I become half as great as Dad, I'll be happy. But, I don't want to deal with the pressure of being exactly like Dad. I thought that maybe if I was different, people would stop comparing me to my dad and seeing me for me."

"Oh," I said intelligently. "You must get that a lot because you look just like your dad. Wait, so what happened exactly?"

He narrowed his eyes. "What's got you so worried? If it's your Sorting, don't worry about anyone. You still got me, Albus, and Rose."

Gravely, I said, "I know, but…I'll say when we can all get together. This crazy theory has been eating and eating at me."

"Well, the hat did offer me Slytherin and Ravenclaw, as well as Gryffindor. I was like my dad, it said, because I wasn't very easy to sort. But it said I had true Hufflepuff traits. And well, if that's how it's meant to be, I'll go with it. I'm not sure if I should tell you," he paused, "but I'm sure it won't hurt. Before I went on the Hogwarts Express, my dad told me that the Sorting Hat takes your choice into account. I chose not to be in Slytherin, and so did he."

I blanched at this information. That couldn't be right. The Sorting Hat didn't care for my choice. No, it was quite the opposite actually. Why had it been different for me? What if the Sorting Hat was doing this on purpose? Why did it have to be me? "Albus, I—"

"Wait. Rose is about to be sorted!" Albus said and turned a head to his cousin, who was waiting on the stool.

I closed my mouth and watched along with him. Maybe the hat was right about Albus. I had to admit that he was unconditionally loyal to Rose, enough that an outsider might think that Albus was anxious for his own Sorting, not his cousin's.

"RAVENCLAW!"

Rose happily sped toward her table and I knew that Ravenclaw would be happy to have a mind like hers. As she walked, she mouthed to us, "It's time for a change, eh?"

We nodded, and Albus seemed accepting even though he must have wished that Rose were in Hufflepuff with us. On the contrary, my heart sunk. We'd been separated, except for me and Albus. I would have been more worried if Albus was sorted into Gryffindor, though. Then we'd be spread out around all of the Houses. The last person to be sorted was a dark girl, something Zabini. She went to Slytherin, and the Sorting Ceremony ended.

"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts!" Headmistress McGonagall commanded attention with her booming voice. "Before the feast may begin, I must make something very clear. First-years, and foolish older students, the Forbidden Forest remains forbidden for your safety. Remember, Quidditch tryouts are open to _all_ students. Now, let the feast begin!"

Immediately after she finished speaking, the shining golden plates and goblets filled with wonderful food and drink. The sweets from the trolley that we'd eaten seemed so long ago now, and I half-smiled at Albus who could hardly wait to pile up on everything. To tell the truth, I couldn't wait either, but I was trying to control myself to seem somewhat normal. I inhaled the scents of the roast beef, chicken, steak, sausages, pork chops, lamb chops, bacon, roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, green beans, and carrots, instantly feeling better afterward. Once Albus and the other ravenous Hufflepuffs got their paws off most of the plates, I helped myself to chicken, potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, and green beans. I savored the flavor of everything and ate until I was warm with food. I tried not to laugh at Albus, who could hardly speak a word or two with food constantly in his mouth.

"Aw, I forgot to save room for dessert!" Albus finally griped long after I finished eating. Resting his elbows on the table, he gave a mighty belch and wiped his mouth with his hand.

"Well, you won't die if you eat a bit more, I suppose," I answered helpfully, grinning. I drank the rest of my pumpkin juice and instantly, my goblet was refilled.

"I'm not so sure about that. We'll see once I'm finished with this treacle tart." He smiled and snatched one off a plate to his right, which had once contained roast beef. Dessert had replaced everything, and ice cream, apple pies, doughnuts, trifle, chocolate éclairs, Jell-O, and treacle tarts now filled the tables.

I followed suit, and shoved some vanilla ice cream and apple pie onto my plate, downing most of it in a few minutes. I noticed the girl to my right watching us.

"Oi, so have your lot's families been in Hufflepuff?" the girl with straight blonde hair said. I heard her name was Angela Crawford. "My family's been in Hufflepuff for generations."

"Pretty much everyone in my family's been a Gryffindor," Albus said sheepishly. "But I'm sure you knew that already."

I said with nonchalance, "My brother's in Ravenclaw and I think most of my family went there. I don't know for sure. All I know is I'm the only Hufflepuff."

"I'm the only magic person in my family," a skinny boy with brown hair named Owen Phillips explained. "I didn't even know about any of this House stuff until Crawford told me about them. I'm glad I didn't get into Slytherin!"

Albus nodded. "Yeah, I know what you mean. So, have any of you played Quidditch?"

"Nope," Owen and I said in unison, eager to hear more.

"I'm not very good," Angela admitted.

Sighing, Albus ruffled his hair. "I hope we don't get smashed by the Gryffindor team. James would never let me live it down."

"Teach me," I said forcefully. I pounded a fist on the table and nearly spilled pumpkin juice all over myself. "Let's see where that gets us. You're good, right?" I didn't like how hopeless Albus sounded, and I don't think I could stand losing, either.

"What? Yes. Are you crazy?" Albus, Owen, and Angela gaped at me. "When? How? I don't know where to get all the different balls and equipment."

"Yup, I'm crazy, and you're teaching me Quidditch, Potter." I pointed a finger at Albus. "You better be up at five or suffer the consequences, and I have no idea how you're going to do it. You have your broom with you, right? So teach me how to fly. Figure out the rest sometime soon."

"_What_? You're crazy, Elrian! _Five_ o'clock? I didn't sign up for this!" Albus held up his hands in a showing of innocence.

I shook my head and rolled my eyes. "I thought we already got past me being crazy, Potter. And yes, five o'clock, mister. By the way, you signed up for this when you said you didn't want to be smashed by Gryffindor."

"When did I become _Potter_? And how are we not going to be smashed? You must be…oh never mind. I mean, you're trying to get on the team as a first-year with no experience?"

"Potter, you became Potter when you were born to Harry Potter. Blimey, mate, I would've thought you'd know that by now! Crazy? Yes, and you're teaching me Quidditch. Uh, as for getting on the team as a first-year, perhaps. I'm trying to learn Quidditch. We just went over that like, uh, _four_ times now."

"But—" Albus tried to say, but was interrupted by Headmistress McGonagall dismissing the students from the feast. All the silverware, plates, goblets, and food disappeared.

The students dispersed from the hall, and a Hufflepuff prefect led us to a door to the right of the main staircase in the Entrance Hall. We went down a long staircase near the kitchen and ended up by a large pile of barrels, stacked in a shady corner on the right side of the corridor. At first I was wondering why we were here, but the boy, Jonathan Finch-Fletchley, explained everything. "You first-years must be wondering why we're in the same corridor as the kitchen. Well, our common room is entered from this corridor. You see that barrel?" Jonathan pointed to a barrel two from the bottom, middle of the second row. "It will open if you tap the rhythm of 'Helga Hufflepuff.' To drive away non-Hufflepuffs, vinegar will soak the person from another barrel if the rhythm is tapped an incorrect number of times or on the wrong barrel. It's been this way since Hogwarts came to be."

Owen raised his hand, but didn't wait to be called on. "Why's that? I heard something about other Houses having a password, or solving a riddle. If another House finds out and word gets out, anybody would be able to get into our common room! I'd bloody hate it if some Slytherins got into my room. Who knows what they would do?"

Jonathan smirked. "We're Hufflepuffs aren't we? I'd hope that we'd be loyal enough to our House to keep this a secret. Now, let's go to bed. Remember to stay there; otherwise we'll lose points if we're caught." He opened up the barrel and I tried to get a good view.

What I saw was an earthy passage that went upward. I climbed up and I found myself in a round room with low ceilings decorated with our House colors. Little underground tunnels led to the girls' and boys' dormitories. The doors were round, too, and I was reminded of a badger set. A colorful explosion of plants waved to the students. I went into my dormitory and found my trunk on the floor. While I was unpacking most of my stuff, four girls came in, including Angela.

"Hey," I called to them, waving my hand. "I'm Elrian. Who are you lot?"

The tall brown-haired girl who came in second regarded me warily. "The name's Darlene Gray," she replied and plunked down onto a yellow-and-black bed.

"Crystal Rose. Don't laugh," chimed a short girl with blonde hair so light it almost looked white. She smiled at me.

Uh, what? I didn't mean to be rude, but I couldn't figure out which was her surname. "Ah, so are you Crystal Rose or Rose Crystal? Sorry, couldn't tell."

The girl groaned like she got this a lot. "I'm Crystal and my family's name is Rose. I mean, most of the roses you see are red, right? I'm more of a crystal than a rose."

"Ohhh," me and Angela chorused. We laughed at each other.

"Wait," I said. "You could be a white Rose!" They stared at me. "That wasn't a racist joke," I explained helpfully.

"Ohhh," Angela repeated and giggled. "Oh, I'm Angela Crawford by the way!" Crystal smiled again, and Darlene rolled her eyes.

We settled into our cozy four-poster beds, talking about what we planned to do tomorrow, and then it was lights-out. I remembered that it would be a Saturday, and most people would be able to sleep in. I smirked. Albus and I wouldn't, though. I was much too determined to get the basics of Quidditch down and more. I gazed out the window and watched the stars, thinking about everything. So many things had happened; we'd been sorted into different Houses, I planned for me and Albus plus Rose and Jason to meet up, and then there was Quidditch. This was going to be one hell of a year.

I thought about what Rose said today, when she got into Ravenclaw. "Oh, Rose," I whispered to myself. "It definitely is a time of change. I'm just not sure if that's a good thing."

**A/N:** And so ends the second chapter of their adventure. I know it was a bit slow, but patience my lovely readers, it'll get faster. Was it what you expected in terms of quality and the Sorting Ceremony in general? I know I had no idea at first, so I'm not sure. But the pieces did fall in place and I like it this way. Don't shoot me because Rose is in Ravenclaw and Albus is in Hufflepuff. I wanted to be different from other people and I felt that change was called for. There are reasons, too, and they'll be explained in time. Oh, and I was trying to be a lot more serious in this chapter, and less humorous. Also, sorry! This was supposed to be uploaded on Friday night, but I fell asleep and had no time today. I think I was more descriptive in this chapter, but I know it wasn't great. At least, it felt that way. I'm not amazing at descriptions without like overdoing it and making it slow. It wasn't horrible here, but I'll try to get better! Please help me by writing a review. I want to update this a lot, but I'm terribly busy and my mom has been getting so annoyed with me for not doing anything AP Macroeconomics-related, which is pretty annoying. So I'll try to upload the next chapter in two weeks instead of my weekly thing that I've been trying to do. By the way, I think I'll be writing a specific question for each chapter from now on for you guys to answer.

**Question:** What class (Charms, Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts, etc.) do you want me to write about or would like to see sometime soon? Tell me in a review!

**Important Notice:** I'm starting to post the progress I'm making on this story on my profile. So if you're wondering how far I am, just check in a few days or something. It's at 0% now, but it won't stay that way, I promise. :) Oh, and I wrote a more detailed summary on my profile because I felt that it would give a clearer idea to the reader what my story's about. Additionally, I'll probably change the summary for this story very soon as well if there's a better summary.


	3. Of Quidditch and Letters

Of Quidditch and Letters

"RISE AND SHINE, POTTER!" I cupped my hands together and hollered at Albus, who was lying on his side with a yellow-and-black blanket tangled around him. "You're going to teach me Quidditch today, even if it kills me. Or you," I loudly whispered. After seeing almost no visible response, I shook Albus to no avail.

Earlier, I'd slipped out of my own and sneaked up the tunnel to the boys' dormitory. The common room had been completely quiet, save for the crackling fire that cast dancing shadows upon the entire room. All had been wholly well, and I was fairly sure that I was one of the only ones up at that time. I'd lightly crawled up the tunnel and smoothly cracked open the first door that I saw with an ease that came with years and years of sneaking out past bedtime. Not that I really ever had a bedtime at home.

Although light had crept in through the crack, none of the boys in the dorm stirred. As soon as I'd spotted that unmistakable jet-black bird's nest, I knew I was in the right place. Stealthily, I'd edged through the darkness and over to Albus's bed without any errors in judgment. Somehow, I managed to be ridiculously clumsy sometimes and coordinated other times. Luckily for me, this was a time when I was coordinated.

This was the point in time when I decided to give little Albus Severus Potter a rude wake-up call.

Every boy in the dark dormitory woke, looking scared to death when they sat up in their beds. Blankets protectively rose to cover their faces. I stayed calm, twirling my fingers over and over. Oh, yes. It was just another bright, fun day at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Except it wasn't bright just yet. I half-laughed at that, which caused the boys to flinch. Merlin, what a bunch of pansies!

While I was watching their reactions, I noticed the state of their dorm for the first time. Mounds of clothes were lazily strewn across the floor and, in the case of a slightly stout boy at the far end of the room, so were a pile of candy wrappers. Their trunks also lay half-open by their beds, all sorts of gadgets hanging over the edges. I might have been in a Hufflepuff dormitory, but it was definitely the boys'. Cripes, even I could be pretty neat for this short period of time. Give it a week, and it still wouldn't be as bad.

"Hey Potter! While you're at it, you'd do well with a little cleaning," I added cheekily.

Albus turned over in his bed and groaned, mucking up his already messy hair with his hand. Yet, he wasn't really awake.

"Dumb girls! Not all of you can be that neat, so why are you patronizing us for it?" a voice to Albus's right irritably asked. He stood up and pointed an accusatory finger at me. "Oi, what's a girl doing in our dorm at _five_ bloody o'clock, anyway?" he reiterated to the rest of the boys, as if he were only just realizing this.

I grinned at the little blonde boy, Isaac something. "What? You've never been awakened this early? But, I must admit, you're completely right. I'm not organized at all most of the time, though it's more of a choice than a disability. And I'm here for this kid right here," I jabbed my thumb at the disheveled lump in front of me, who turned over again.

"Ah! It's her!" said the candy-lover boy, urgency running throughout his voice. "Guys, it's the girl, the girl who couldn't be sorted yesterday. It's that—that _Li_ girl, whose brother got so much applause for defending her, even though he went to Slytherin."

I was certainly not in the dormitory of the brightest first-year boys, I mused. Immediately, he, Isaac, and the other two boys shrank backward with uneasiness. "That's half right. It's me, 'the first Hatstall in sixty years' or as you said, 'that _Li_ girl.' However, Jason is not my brother, or even related to me! Anyway, don't get your feathers all rumpled, dearie. I'm not going to hex your eyes out or turn your ears blue. Nor do I have dragon pox or something ridiculous and contagious, luckily for you." I stuck my tongue out at them. "Now if you'll _excuse_ me, ALBUS! WAKE UP YOU LAZY BUM!"

"We have feathers?" whispered the candy boy to the other three boys who we were awake. They shrugged.

Yet again, there was hardly any response from the boy I needed today. Well, I could be mean to get his attention, I reasoned. I shifted my eyes around the room and spotted a bright red broomstick leaning against the yellow wall beside Albus. It was extremely well-cared for, and I'd bet fifty galleons that it was Potter's. A plan was forming in my head.

"Well, I guess it's perfectly fine if you don't want to get up. Maybe if I hit this broom against the ceiling really hard, the racket that I'll make and the paint and dust that'll land everywhere will wake you," I sang devilishly and reached my hand for the end of the wood. I could almost taste victory at this point.

"Get your hand away from _my_ broomstick!" Albus almost shouted and pushed my fingertips away from the broom. He leaped off the bed and snatched it from its place, carefully checking it for any miniscule flaw he could find. His eyes suspiciously cycled from the broom to me and back. Then, he turned his back to me and glided his hand along the length of the wood. "Don't do that again! You don't know anything about Quidditch or brooms. You could've broken my Firebolt 14, and I only just got it this summer for my birthday!"

Raising an eyebrow at his obsessive love for his broom, I laughed. "Nice to know you have a sixth sense for anyone trying to get near that broom of yours. That's something I'll have to mention to any girl that has the slightest crush on you. 'Sorry,' I'll say, 'He's already got a crush. She's a real beauty; she's light, red, and has straw hair so fine that all the other brooms in the castle will be weeping at their blatant deficiencies whenever she comes around.' Ha-ha!"

Albus nearly growled at me. "Whatever! You don't understand it. Let's just get this over with. I figured that I could get Hagrid to help me get some equipment and a spare broom." He continued to himself, "Oh boy, if James finds out I'm being forced into this, I'll never live it down. Oh why, oh why? Why does it have to be _me_?"

"Wonderful! Let's go then," I said cheerfully, ignoring his discomfort. I followed him out of the dorm, bouncing all the way down the tunnel and into the common room.

Just as we were about to exit the earthy passage, Jonathan Finch-Fletchley climbed into the entrance with some toast and bacon. "Hullo Albus, Elrian," he said once he gulped down what he had in his mouth. "What are you two doing up so early on a Saturday? The only reason I'm up is to get some food from the kitchens."

"Er, I'm just going out to the Quidditch pitch to touch up on some of my skills and help Elrian," he said with a faint blush and gestured at his broom.

Jonathan smiled slyly. "I can see that you're very eager for Quidditch. Well, it'll be about another two weeks until tryouts and your Quidditch lesson. Make Hufflepuff proud! I'm sure you'll make the team. Huh, maybe we'll be in it to win it this year. Your father was pretty much the best Seeker at Hogwarts in his time! What position do you play? I'm Keeper for the team."

"Uh, Seeker," Albus said quietly, a small frown forming on his face.

I wondered if the frown was because of the comparison to his father. I thought to my parents, and I could hardly imagine the pressure to do good when your parents were so great. I felt a little more grateful that no one really knew too much about me, yet. When they did, I'd probably have more pressure too. "Well, we'll be going then! See you later, Finch-Fletchley." I dragged Albus to the entrance.

"Wait!" Jonathan stepped in front of us, arms crossed, totally blocking our way. "How 'bout I help you two out? Since I'm Quidditch captain of the Hufflepuff team, I have access to everything. It'll look less suspicious, too, if you're with a prefect. Maybe you could let me have a go at your Firebolt, too?"

Scoffing, I stepped aside for Albus to take the lead. Of course, Jonathan would want to do this for us so he could ride the broom.

"Ah, yeah, that'd be great," Albus replied with a quick nod.

Together, the three of us made our way—our _long_ way, I must amend—through the castle. Since it was getting brighter, we didn't need a lantern or Jonathan to use the light spell, _Lumos_. We met the Fat Friar on the first floor, where he usually roams, and he greeted the three of us warmly. I was pleased that we hadn't seen Peeves yet, although he had made his presence known to the school last night with all his howling.

We'd just gone onto school grounds when Jonathan stopped to tell us that he'd be leaving us momentarily to get the balls and broomsticks. Nodding, Albus and I continued on to the pitch.

Three tall hoops of differing heights were placed on both ends of the oval field and large viewing towers stood on the edges. The grass was slightly damp, but not wet, and the air was sharply fresh. A rising sun made the sky orange and pinkish, and the ruffled clouds added to the grandiosity. No one else was there, which was fine by me, because I honestly did not need people to witness my shortcomings. Albus confidently led us toward the middle and then turned around to face me. He was finally in his element, and he seemed more relaxed than I'd ever seen him.

"So how does this all work? I happened to notice that when Jonathan mentioned what he was getting, he said 'balls' not '_ball._' There are multiple balls?"

"Yeah. There are four: the Quaffle, the Golden Snitch, and two Bludgers. There are seven people on a team. The Keeper guards the goal posts from the three opposing Chasers, who use the Quaffle to score. Two Beaters keep Bludgers away from their team and hit them toward the opposing team. And the snitch," he said with the utmost reverence, "the snitch is caught by the Seeker to end the game, and that team is awarded 150 points."

I nodded slowly, trying to take in all the information. "I understand. Okay, so I have two weeks to master flying and one of those positions. Sounds like this is going to be a blast! Since you're probably taking the Seeker position and Jonathan's Keeper, I'll try for Chaser or Beater. Do you have any idea who is going for either position?"

Albus shook his head. "No, I don't. I only really know the Gryffindor and Slytherin team, since James goes on and on about it at home. Gryffindor and Slytherin have the biggest rivalry at Hogwarts," he explained. "Anyway, Beaters are traditionally bigger, though it all depends on what you're good at. Cedric Diggory was a decent Seeker, and he didn't have the best build for it."

"I see. Then I'll ask Jonathan what positions are available when he gets back, then. In the meantime, show me how it's done. Ride around the pitch as fast as you can."

"I don't think you'd be able to see me if I went as fast as I can go on my Firebolt," Albus said with a touch of pride. "But yeah, it's not too hard if you ease up. It's never good if you're too nervous and don't know what you're doing. Just think some commands for your broom and it should go the way you want it to. The broom will make a difference, and so will your innate talent for it."

Once he finished speaking, he set the broom under him, gripping the wood tightly. Albus leaned forward and kicked off the ground, spraying me in the face with the dirt and grass that came flying backward. "Jerk!" I called after him. I picked up a soggy clump of dirt, ready to hit him, when I realized that he wasn't anywhere I could see. Powerful gusts of wind that came from everywhere slapped at my skin. Stunned, I turned around in a circle. Finally, I looked up to see Albus hovering near the clouds, waving at me. Then he went into a dramatic dive, expertly making slow, extravagant loops in the air. "Watch where you're going, kid!" I shouted, only to hear his laugh echo endlessly around me.

Like a swooping eagle prepared to bite my head off, he swooshed overhead and landed easily on the ground. "Hello, Jonathan," he said.

To my surprise, Jonathan was walking toward us with two broomsticks in his right hand and a crate in the other. "Oi, I got our stuff!" he yelled, holding his hands up.

"Hey! What positions are open on the team?" I asked when he got closer.

"Well," he said thoughtfully as he slammed the crate onto the grass, "Rae will probably take one of the Chaser spots. She's one of the best people we got and will probably be on the team. Our other two Chasers graduated last year. We already have two good Beaters, Henry and Frank. So, your best bet is Chaser. Let me see what you got, and I'll give you some pointers. Here, take this." He handed me a broom with mahogany wood. The tail had a few twigs sticking out in odd directions, but it was in an overall good condition. "That broom you're holding is a Nimbus 2000. It's an old model, but it was good back in Harry Potter's days as Seeker."

"Oh, yes," Albus agreed. "My dad had his Nimbus 2000 until it got hit by the Whomping Willow. And then, well, that was the end of that. Uh, how about you give that one a go? Put it on the ground and hold your hand above it. Then shout, 'UP!' and see how it responds."

Jonathan nodded his approval. I exhaled, nestled the broomstick on the ground, and extended my right hand over it. "UP!" I firmly declared to my broom, feeling rather stupid.

Gradually, my broom inched closer and closer to my outstretched hand. Excited, I willed it to come faster. However, the broom stopped about three-quarters of the way. I nimbly caught it, slightly disappointed.

"Not bad, not bad!" Jonathan said, impressed. "You're better than most. With some practice, I can see you making the team within a couple years."

I gave him an odd look. "What? No, no, you have it wrong. I'm trying to get on the team this year. Just you wait."

He stared at Albus for help, who had a don't-look-at-me expression. "I don't know about that, Elrian. Don't get your hopes up too high."

"It's not impossible," I reasoned. "Harry Potter made it on the team his first year, didn't he? He was the youngest Seeker in a century. Well, I'll try my hand at it, too. I'll make it. I'm stubborn and tenacious."

"That's Harry Potter," Jonathan argued. "Also, almost all the Potters have been great at Quidditch. It's practically in their blood."

"What's your point? I'm Elrian Li. And I have Li blood. That might do me some good," I replied. "Although I always thought that Li brains would do me some more good."

Next, I got onto my broom in the same manner that Albus did. I'd paid attention when he did it, so I hoped I wouldn't fall flat on my face. "This is how you do it right?" I asked.

Before either of them could answer, I launched myself into the air. I pointed the broom handle upward, and told it to go in my mind. And up I went. The feeling was absolutely exhilarating, like the upward ascent of a rollercoaster without the roughness of the cart grating against the track. Wind rushed past and blood roared in my ears. It was wonderful, even though I was afraid at first. When I got to about thirty feet up, I leveled myself out and leaned forward a bit, chugging along steadily.

Down below, Albus was ready to come up with his Firebolt, but a warning from Jonathan stopped him. "Wait. Let's see what she's got first. After all, she's got a lot of words to stand by."

Looking down at them was a mistake for me, since it gave me a reality check. I was thirty feet in the air, roughly, and all that was holding me up was a mere broomstick. I wavered, and almost toppled off my broom. Quick reflexes are what saved me from a nasty fall. I managed to latch onto the broom with both hands and pulled myself up.

"Hey!" I bellowed at them. "You guys should stop gawking and get your bums up here. This is way cooler than I thought it'd be! Hook me up with the Quaffle, because we're going on a long, long ride together." I smiled brilliantly.

"That just might have been the _worst_ Quidditch-related pun I've _ever_ heard," Jonathan said and stared at me with pity.

I grinned widely. "Thank you very much. I'll be here all day. No kidding… Ha-ha!"

"Oh, for the love of Merlin—" Jonathan brushed me off and opened the medium-sized crate. A big red ball, two smaller black balls, and a tiny gold ball were revealed. "Here—the red ball is the Quaffle."

Once he had risen off the ground, he sent the Quaffle speeding in my direction. I charged at it as fast as the broom could go and caught it with my right arm. If I hadn't lost my balance again, the pass would have been fine. Perhaps I was not a natural at Quidditch; that much for sure was certain. But I felt like I could be doing a lot worse. Hmm, that still meant I had a ways to go, I thought while racing toward the goal posts. Quidditch would be a bit different from a lot of the sports I usually played, since the broom mainly counted for a rider's speed and agility, not really the rider. Additionally, I felt like brute strength wouldn't get you particularly far in Quidditch. No, you had to be smart about what you did and that was definitely something that would work in my favor.

We played until about ten past seven o'clock. I was getting the hang of Quidditch, enough to impress both Albus and Jonathan. At first, I worked on my own at getting the basics while Albus and Jonathan played around with Albus's Firebolt 14. After a while, I'd ended up trying to score while Jonathan was playing as Keeper. Meanwhile, Albus tried out the school's Snitch. By the time we finished, he'd easily caught it eight or nine times. He also occasionally gave me some tips and in the last twenty or thirty minutes, I'd started to make some goals.

"Nice one, Elrian!" said a voice coming down the field. The person was waving at me wildly when I'd scored for the last time.

I abruptly stopped flying toward Jonathan and turned toward the person. "_Jason_? What are you doing here at the pitch?" I made a beeline for him, noting that he was with a tall, gangly boy that I couldn't really see. Quickly, I got as close to the ground as I could and jumped off the broom, landing safely and softly.

"Yes, not bad, especially if you've only just started," the other boy added, crossing his arms. The words were nice, but they were said in a cool manner. Still, I was surprised to see who the person was: Scorpius Malfoy, complete with a slightly bored yet brooding look. He smiled politely, and the tension that had been springing up tamed. "Pleasure meeting you. I'm Scorpius." He extended his hand.

"Elrian here!" I pleasantly replied and returned the gesture with enthusiasm, though I was inwardly doubtful. Here was an attractive boy with money (just look at that Firebolt 14!) and probably a slight attitude problem. I was not judging him by his parents or even in general, but I was a little wary. He'd probably have fan-girls all over him in a few years, and I found that kind of disgusting. I had to admit he was really polite and overall nice, though. I decided to give him a chance, and smiled. "Nice meeting you, too. So, what's happening? Are you two going to practice?"

Jason shook his head. "I'm not. Scorpius wanted to go flying, and I decided to go and watch. I'm not really the Quidditch playing type."

I was about to say something, but Jonathan suddenly appeared above me. "Hey, couldn't have said something before rushing off, could you?" he asked derisively. He and Albus swiftly landed beside us a few moments later, Jonathan armed with the Quaffle. "'Ello there," he remarked to Scorpius and Jason, who nodded in acknowledgement.

"Whoops. I get distracted pretty easily," I laughed, slightly embarrassed. "I thought we should take a break anyway. I hope breakfast is out by now. I'm starving over here!"

"Agreed," Albus said and coughed hoarsely.

I stared at him. "Something wrong?" He was acting a bit strangely today.

"Uh, no." He winced and ruffled his hair, an action I came to see as nervous in Albus.

Scorpius didn't seem to notice anything odd. "Hello there, Potter. I must say, brilliant flying out there today. Maybe we'll see each other on the pitch this year; start up the old Potter-Malfoy rivalry, eh?" Scorpius mused with a chuckle. "I've been warned by my dad to beat you and especially that cousin of yours, Rose, on all our exams."

Albus almost smiled and appeared like his normal self again. "Funny; Uncle Ron told Rose the same thing about you. Well, if you're going to compete with one of us on exams, it would be Rose. She got all her smarts from Aunt Hermione. But Quidditch…we'll see about that pretty soon."

The boys shook hands and once Jonathan put the Quaffle back in the crate, we made the somewhat long way back to the castle. Summer was ending late this year. It was very warm, but the conditions were perfect for Quidditch. We entered the castle, and Jonathan parted ways, saying us that he was done for the day. Albus and I walked down an empty corridor to the Great Hall. Inside, there were only a few handfuls of students and four teachers. Headmistress McGonagall was nowhere to be seen. I followed Albus to the vacant far end of the Hufflepuff table, sitting down across from him. I helped myself to some cereal and orange juice when a muscular young man with spiky brown hair came over to us. He carried some papers in the crook of his arm.

"Hello there, my new students! I'm the Head of Hufflepuff and Transfiguration professor, Professor Ward. This is my fourth year teaching at Hogwarts, and I hope to teach at Hogwarts for many more years. Let me get your schedule for the year." He scanned through the pile. "Ah, here it is!" Professor Ward handed us each a schedule. It read:

_Class Schedule for First-Year Hufflepuffs_

_Monday: Morning Classes – Potions with Slytherin, Herbology with Ravenclaw_

_Afternoon Class – Charms with Gryffindor_

_Tuesday: Morning Classes – Defense Against the Dark Arts with Slytherin, Transfiguration with Ravenclaw_

_Afternoon Class: History of Magic with Gryffindor_

_Wednesday: Morning Classes – Double Transfiguration_

_Afternoon Class – Flying (3:30 pm) with Ravenclaw_

_Midnight Class – Astronomy with Gryffindor_

_Thursday: Morning Classes – Double Charms_

_Afternoon Class – Herbology_

_Friday: Morning Classes – Double Potions_

_Afternoon Class – Defense Against the Dark Arts_

I read down the list. "Gee, I guess Astronomy and History of Magic must not be that important," I said thoughtfully to Albus after I'd thanks Professor Ward for the schedules. "It makes sense though, since I don't think Astronomy is used so much anymore, and history doesn't really serve a purpose except for enlightening people about what happened in the past."

"Oh, you'll be wishing we learned less History of Magic once you see how Professor Binns teaches," Albus said once he swallowed a mouthful of food and wiped his mouth. "Sorry, I mean the way he _drones_. I heard that the only person that he couldn't put to sleep was Aunt Hermione. And even though she was pretty much the only student who paid attention, he still didn't know her name! Called her Ms. Grant or something, instead of Ms. Granger. Honestly, we—me, James, and Lily—think that the only reason Professor Binns hasn't been sacked yet is out of pity. The bloke finally died one day and just got up and kept teaching, or something. I don't think he even knows that he died or that he's a ghost."

I rolled my eyes. "Well isn't that just dandy? We have a _boring_ ghost for a history teacher, a subject that may or may not already be boring, depending on the quality of the teaching." I looked at the schedule again. "Huh, we'll be seeing the most of Rose. We have the most periods with Ravenclaw, and we'll see them and Gryffindor every day but Friday. We'll see Jason and Scorpius on Monday, Tuesday, and all day for Friday. Speaking of which, what was up with you earlier today with Scorpius?"

Albus looked away for a few moments before saying, "You see…I'm close with my dad, and he's told me stories about Malfoy—Scorpius's dad. I wasn't told to compete with him like Uncle Ron told Rose. That wasn't the reason why I was y'know, trying to avoid him. I guess I just didn't want any trouble if he turned out to be like his dad when his dad was younger. It's not really that I was afraid, but more of a protective measure. Like, why would I want more enemies to make my life miserable? But I learned today that what I was doing wasn't right either, since I was judging Scorpius before I really knew him. After talking to him, I feel like he's a cool person."

"Yeah I see," I answered slowly. "It must be tough living in the shadows of your parents. It's probably like that for Scorpius, too, now that I think about it. For you, it's something to be proud of sometimes. But Scorpius, Merlin, I kind of feel bad for him. The Malfoy name wasn't popular outside of Slytherin to begin with, and what with his dad being on the side of the Death Eaters during the Second Wizarding War, his family will be disliked for forever. Unless he does something about it, that is. Maybe he will. He feels like a good guy. Plus, I trust Jason's judgment. I doubt he'd hang around 'bad' kids."

"Yeah," Albus's voice trailed off.

Suddenly, a large barn owl dropped a small and rectangular dusty-colored letter into my cereal. "Gotta love the mail service here," I muttered to myself.

"Oh, that's right!" Albus sat straight up. "I forgot to send mum and dad a letter! They'll want to know about Hufflepuff and stuff. I'll need to go to the Owlery to do that soon."

"Wait a sec. Let me come with you once I finish reading this. It might be from my parents, wondering about my Hogwarts experience too." _Or maybe not_, I said in my mind when I noticed that there was no return address. The only distinguishing thing about the letter was that it was garnished with a thin green ribbon. I undid the knot and ripped the letter open with care. Warily, I slid the yellowed parchment out of its container and unfolded it. Every word on the paper was a dark crimson color, like that of blood.

_ Dear Ms. Li,_

_Enjoying your stay at Hogwarts? You better hope it lasts as long as possible, because it won't last forever. My followers have been watching you ever since your peculiar Sorting happened the previous night. They informed me about it, saying that you could be dangerous if uncontrolled. And after seeing your files, I'm more than certain of that. I know more about you and your family than you do. If I were you, I'd spend less time playing Quidditch and more time studying. You'll need every last single drop of knowledge you can get for the challenges set out for you. We are watching you constantly. Beware._

_ P.S. More information will come to you very soon. All you need to do is keep your big mouth shut._

**A/N**: I am so sorry for taking so long to update this. Like I've said before, I had to prepare for my first ever AP test and it was very stressful for me. I'm going to try to update this regularly from now on. School's almost out. Just another 11 days and I'll be free! Anyway, tell me what you think of this chapter in a review. Again, do you like how I have portrayed my characters? What about the Quidditch parts? If you don't, that's too bad. I'm going to focus less on Quidditch in future chapters, anyway. The next chapter will be about the classes at Hogwarts. I think my story is starting to pick up pace, and will move faster once I get past the beginning. I'm working out the plot in my head right now, character development, and all that jazz. Once I get that figured out, I'll be able to write a bit faster I think. Oh yeah, I changed the title of this story since I feel like I'll get more hits this way. I hope old readers won't mind.

**Question**: Do you like where my story is headed and should I amp up the creepiness?

I'm not great at writing creepy stuff. If you want it, great, I can totally work on that. Give me tips if you're experienced in that area.


End file.
